Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

149. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the discussions or arrangements that occur with her Department or local schools in cases in which children, as refugees or asylum seekers, in primary and secondary schools are moved, with little formal notice to the parents or staff involved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5246/23]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In Ireland, all migrant children, including children of international protection applicants, children of migrant workers and unaccompanied minors can access can access primary and post-primary education in a manner similar to Irish nationals, until they have reached 18 years of age.

Tusla Education Support Service (TESS) works with the International Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) and the International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) to ensure that children seeking international protection are enrolled in school as soon as possible following their arrival, and can offer assistance if there are difficulties in sourcing school places.

TESS also works in conjunction with the Regional Education and Language teams (REALT), which were established by my department to support the needs of children arriving in Ireland from Ukraine. The role of the REALT has been extended to include non-Ukrainian arrivals, ensuring one clear and comprehensive system for the identification of school places and assistance with supports that will streamline the process for children and young people, their families and schools. The primary role of the REALT is to assist children in finding school places and to support schools in the area to meet the needs of these children as they emerge, to advise and support the Department in developing new capacity where required, and to coordinate the provision of education services to children and families across their defined area.

Capacity is a challenge for my department, both in terms of physical school buildings in which to accommodate additional pupils, and also the human resources, teachers, SNAs etc. with the skills to address their education needs.

Ultimately, the location of the accommodation provided for families will be relevant in identifying appropriate school capacity to meet their education needs, and my department is coordinating with the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government in this respect.

My Department continues to communicate with schools in relation to supporting the arrival of children and young people from Ukraine, and children of international protection applicants from other countries. This includes the most recent letter from my Department dated 15 December 2022, which advises school principals that from time to time, it is likely that some families will be moved from their current accommodation due to the short-term and temporary nature of their placement, and provides information on supports available. 4f9e2303-80a0-445c-be11-c7e9226d49a7.pdf (www.gov.ie)